Diving-gear for torpedoes.



F. M. LEAVITT.

DIVING GEAR FOR TOEPEDOES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1912.

Patnted July 30, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

WITNESSESQ By Aftowzeys, I

F. M. LEAVITT.

DIVING GEAR FORfTORPEDOES. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1912.

1,033,810. Patented July 30, 1912.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

LNVENTO WITNESSES:

By A flow/lays,

to maintain UNITED STATES FATE FBAN K M. LEAVITT, OF SMITHTOWN, NEWYORK, ASSIGNOE TO .W. BLISS COMP,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

DIVING-GEAR FOB TOBPEDOES.

Patented July so, iaia.

Application filed May 11, 1912. Serial No. 696,544.

proved means for preventing the lag of the To'all whom it may concern Beit known that I, FRANK M. LnAvrr'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Smit-htown, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diving- Gear forTorpedoes, of which the following is a specification;

This inventionrelates to the diving gear, or dept-h gear, or immersionmechanism of automobile torpedoes. Such mechanism comprises a rudderturning on a normally horizontal axis, a steerage engine or equivalentsteering mechanism for operating the tiller of this rudder, andco-acting means for controlling such steering engine, these meanscomprising a hydrostat and a pendulum. The hydrostat consists of adiaphragm or equivalent receiving on one side the pressure of the waterand on the other the pressure of a spring, the stress of which can beadjusted to determine the depth to which the mechanism will seek totorpedo. The function of the pendulum is the axis of the torpedo in thehorizontal plane. The pendulum and hydrostat reciprocally control thesteering engine valve through the medium of levers in such manner thatthe valve is actuated. by either or both the controllingmembers.

It is necessary to provide means for locking the pendulum or otherwisepreventing it from communicating a steering moment to the steeringengine during the launching of the torpedo and for a suitable timethereafter. This is necessary because when the torpedo is launched theinertia of the pen dulum causes it to lag so that it swings to the rear,which tends to put the rudder down and .give the torpedo a deep initialdive, which is objectionable, especially in shoal water. Such lag of thependulum continues during the acceleration of the torpedo afterlaunching and until uniformity of speed is attained, whereupon thependulum recovers its plumb position and may exercise its normalfunction. For preventing the lag of the pendulum during theaccelerati'ng movement of the torpedo from influencing the steeringengine, it is common to provide what is called a locking gear whichlooks the valve rod of the steering engine and prevents it being movedby the pendulum.

The present invention provides an imsteer the pendulum from influencingthe steering engine of the depth mechanism, for asuflicient perlodduring the initial run of the torpedo to complete the acceleration andenable the torpedo to reach its normal speed.

To this end the present invention provides a lock or stop located tooppose the communication to the valve of the lagging movement of thependulum; and means actuated by a timing or counting mechanism forautomatically removing this stop after the elapsing of a certain time,or preferably after a certain number of revolutions of the torpedoshaft. In the preferred embodimentthe. stop consists of a bar, slide orother locking part held in position by a cam, with a counting orratcheting mechanism for turning this cam until at the end of thepredetermined period the cam ceases to oppose the retraction of thelocking bar or part.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure I is a side elevation of the afterpart of a torpedopartly in vertical sect-ion to show the depth steeringmechanism; Fig. 2 is a transverse section; Fig. 3 is a side elevation ona larger scale being partly in section; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary planview; Figs. 5 and 6 are fragmentary horizontal sections; Fig. 7 showsthe cam shaft separately; Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the lower end ofthe slliaft; Fig. 9 shows the ratchet and pawl in p an.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A is the torpedo hull or shell and B B are thepropeller screws. The engine for driving In Fig. 2 the propeller shaftsC and G are shown in cross-section, the latter within the former. 'InFig. 3 a fragment of the shaft 0 is shown. The diving gear or immersionthese is not shown.

mechanism comprises a pendulum D, a hydrostat E, a steering engine orother steer-' the torpedo shall steer. The hydrostat diaphragm isconnected to the short arm a of a lever fulcrumed at e and having anupwardly projecting arm H to the upper end of which is pivoted asecondary lever I, the upper arm of which connect-s with the valve rod fof the steering engine F; while the lower arm of this lever connectswith a rod 9 which engages the )endulum D. This rod engages the pendu umthrough buffer springs h h (Fig. l) with sufiicient strength to operatethe valve rod, but not strong enough to resist the movements of thependulum when the pendulum lock (hereinafter explained) is engaged. Thependulum as usual swings between buffer stops i 2' which limit it to avery slight movement. v

So far as described the operation is that of any of the known immersiongears; that is to say, the hydrostat seeks to operate the steeringengine to cause the torpedo to steer to the prescribed depth, and thependulum tends to operate the steering gear to maintain the torpedo on alevel axis. If the torpedo is above or below the prescribed depth thediaphragm is displaced and the lever H is correspondingly moved, so thatif the pendulum remains stationary the lever I communicates thismovement to the valve rod and the steering engine turns the rudder insuch direction as to cause the torpedo to dive or rise until theprescribed depth is reached. If on the other hand-the torpedo be not ona level axis, its inclination causes the pendulum to move relativelyforward or aft and therefore to pull or push upon the rod 9 and therebymove the lever I, which movement, assuming the hydrostat to beunchanged, acts upon the valve rod f and the rudder is turned to suchangle as will tend to restore the torpedo to the horizontal position.Sometimes both hydrostat and pendulum act simultaneously, in which casethe valve is moved as the resultant of their respective controllingmovements.

For locking the pendulum, that is to say, for rendering it impotent toafl'ect the steering engine until its lag due to the acceleration of thetorpedo shall have ceased, I provide a locking bar J which in thespecific construction shown is mounted on the support K. This lockingbar is essentially a stop or abutment the function of which is to renderany backward or lagging movement of the pendulum impotent to affect thesteering engine. Instead of locking the valve rod as heretofore, whichincapacitates both the pendulum and hydrostat, the lock provided by thisinvention incapacitates only the pendulum, and does this only as to thebackward or lagging movement. This is accomplished by arranging thelocking bar J against and behind either the lower arm of the lever I orthe rod g. It preferably engages both at their pivotal connection asshown. The stop or locking bar is arranged to be displacedin anysuitable way so as to get it out of the path of the rod 9 or lever I,and for this purpose it is mounted as a slide so that it may recede whenreleased. In its operative condition it is held immovable by means of acam L on an upright shaft M, which cam engages an arm J projecting fromthe bar J. The cam stands behind the arm J and thereby prevents thepushing back ofthe locking bar by the rearward or lagging thrust of thependulum. The cam L is turned little by little by means of a ratchetdevice comprising a ratchet wheel P fixed on the upper end of the shaftM, and which is turned by a pawl P carried on a rock arm Q, which isoscillated by any suitable mechanism. mechanism shown comprises a shaft-R geared to the propeller shaft C (as shown in Fig. 3) and having a wormj which The L slowly drives a worm wheel 7" which carries tatlon.

Before launching the torpedo the cam L is turned to a position anydesired number of degrees in advance of its final position (shown inFig. 6), where its notch receives the arm J and permits the retractionof the locking bar. F or-this purpose provision is made for turning theshaft M from the exterior. In the construction shown an ex-- tensionshaft M extends downward and terminates in a sockethead m adapted toreceive a wrench or key for turning it. Some suitable index is providedsuch as that shown in Fig. 8 for indicating either the angular distancethrough which it is turned, or corresponding thereto the distance whichthe torpedo will run during the turning of the cam that angulardistance, or the number of revolutions the propellers will make during.such time; or any other suitable guiding information. The operator hasonly to turn the head m in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 8 untilits index mark reaches the desired point on the scale. Say for examplethis turns the cam to the posie tion shown in Fig. 5, from whichstarting position it will haveto turn 90 degrees before releasing thelock. Then upon the launching of the torpedo and the starting of theengine, the cam will be gradually turned at such speed as is determinedby the ratio of gearing until the cam= reaches the position shown inFig. 6, whereupon the arm J is permitted to move back with the lockingbar and thereby release the pendulum connection. lVhen this releasingposition is reached it is desirable that the cam should then remainstationary during the nosaeio remaining run of the torpedo. This isacomplished by forming1 the ratchet wheel 9 with a blank or toot essspace 72 against which thepawl P may impotent-1y move, as shown in Fig.9. r

It is desirable to have the arm J adjustable relatively to the bar J tofacilitate the initial setting or adjustment, and for this purpose thearm is mounted on& block g which is fastenedto the bar by clamp screws51% I During the accelerating, movement of the torpedo the resulting lagof the pendulum is taken up by compressing the spring 71. behind it, andwithout communicating any movement @through the rod g, because thelatter is held against movement by the advanced or locking position ofthe stop or locking bar J. During the preliminary dive the hydrostat isfree to act and upon reaching the prescribed depth will act to operatethe rod f and throw the rudder. The pen dulum is also free to act inforward direction, that is to say, as soon as the downward inclinationof the torpedo becomes efiective to move the" pendulum relativelyforward when the effect of the acceleration ceases, such forwardmovement will carry the rod 9 forward and out of contact with the stopor looking bar J, and will operate the steering engine to bring thetorpedo to the horizontal position. The duration of the lockingengagement should be made as nearly as possible coincident with theperiod of acceleration of the torpedo, so that by the time the torpedoreaches its prescribed depth and so that it may seek to rise, the lockshould be withdrawn so that the pendulum may be free to correct suchrising tendency. This is as heretofore a matter of adjustment within theskill of the operator.

It Will be understood that the ratchet device shown 'is a timingmechanism, and may be substituted by any other known or suitable timingor counting-down device whereby at the end of a prescribed number ofrevolutions of the propeller shafts, or at the end of a prescribed time,the locking device shall be withdrawn. I

It will b understood that the mechanism shown may be greatly varied inits constructive features without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

I claim as my invention 1. In an automobile torpedo the combination witha depth steering mechanism comprising a pendulum, a hydrostat, and asteering engine controlled by either of them, of means for preventingthe transmission to said engine of the rearward or lagging movement ofthe pendulum during the acceleration of the torpedo at launching, suchmeans adapted to leave the steering engine under control of thehydrostat.

2. In an automobile torpedo the combinaprising a pendulum,

lever communicatin tion with a depth steering mechanism coina?hydrostat, and a' steering. engine controlled by either-of them,

- of means for preventing the transmission to said engine of therearward or lagging movement of the pendulum duringthe acceleration ofthe torpedo atlaunchmg, such means adapted to leave the steeringengineunder control of the hydrostat and also :un der control of forwardmovements "of the pendulum.v r a! 3. In an automobile torpedo thecombination with a depth steering mechanism comprising a pendulum, ahydrostat, and a steering engine controlled by either of them, of meansfor preventing the transmission to said engine of the rearward crlagging movement of the pendulum during the acceleration of the torpedoat launching, such means comprising a stop interposed behind aconnection from the pendulum to said enine, and a timing mechanism forwithdrawmg said stop. after a predetermined. interval.

4, In an automobile torpedo the combination with a depth steeringmechanism com-- prising a pendulum, a hydrostat, and a steering enginecontrolled by either of them, a

movement from said hydrostat, a 156C011 lever pivoted on the first andconnected atone arm to the pendulum and at the other arm to saidsteering engine, and means "for preventing the transmission to saidengine of the rearward or lagging movement of the pendulum during theacceleration of the torpedo at launching, said means comprising a stopinterposed behind a' connection between said secondary lever and saidpendulum. and means for withdrawing said stop after a prescribed time.

5. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a depth steeringmechanism comprising a pendulum, a hydrostat, and a steering enginecontrolled by either of them, of means for preventing the transmission,-to said engine of the rearward or lagging movement of the pendulumduring the acceleration of the torpedo at launching, and timingmechanism for terminating the ac tion of said means comprising amovable115 cam adapted to be set to move a greater or lesser distance,and a connection from the propelling mechanism of the torpedo forgradually advancing said cam.

6. In an automobile torpedo, the combina- 12 tion with a depth steeringmechanism comprising a pendulum, a hydrostat, and a steering enginecontrolled by either of them, of means for preventing the transmissionto said engine of the rearward or lagging 12 movementof the pendulumduring the acceleration of the torpedo at launching, and timingmechanism for terminating the action of said means comprising a movablecam adapted to be set to move a greater or 1 0 lesser distance, aconnection from the propelling mechanism of thectorpedo for graduallyadvancing said cam, and means accessible from the exterior of thetorpedo for moving said cam to its desired starting po sition ininitially setting the timing mechanism.

7. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a depth steeringmechanism comprising a pendulum, a hydrostat, and a steering enginecontrolled by either of them, of means for preventing the transmissionto said engine of the rearward or lagging movement of the pendulumduring the acceleration of the torpedo at launching, and timingmechanism comprising a rotary cam and a ratchet-and-pawl for turning it,said pawl reciprocated by connection with the propelling mechanism ofthe torpedo.

8. In an automobile torpedo, the combination with a depth steeringmechanism comprising a pendulum, a hydrostat, and a steering enginecontrolled by either of them, of means for preventing the. transmissionto said engine of the rearward or lagging movement of the pendulumduring the acceleration of the torpedo at launching, and timingmechanism oomprising a rotary cam and aratchet-and pawl for turning it,said pawl reciprocatedby, connection with the propelling mechanism ofthe torpedo, and

means accessible from the exterior of the torpedo for turning said camto initially set the timing mechanism.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo sub- FBANK M. LEAVITT.

Witnesses:

Enw. C. REDHEAD, C. T. ZIEGLER.

